kountry kreams

I took this photo in a local grocery store:
As I snapped the photo phrough did a "knock off" cough... It made me laugh.
Which reminds me, I have some random quotes saved in my phone:
"I didn't realize dinosaurs were so slow...." - Phrough
"That little f*ck wad, I can't stand his ass..." - Gavin
"We had sex a long time ago... Accidentally." - Anonymous - because: I can't remember.
"I don't want to live in a world where I can't have pink icing covered animal crackers" - I can't remember... argh: I need to start putting names with these quotes. I usually grab these quotes while we are out at the bars and throw them in my phone. It's usually impossible to decipher what I typed = Predictive text sucks when you've been drinking and are typing fast. Example I have this one note and I have no idea what it means: "Madmockes in Japan" What the? Who knows.
"Coconut Kyle..." - DaisY

At this local sandwich shop people place business cards along the sneeze guard in hopes to attract business. Seems like a great place to do some passive marketing.... Here is one of the cards I picked up at my last meal:
Well.... If I'm ever looking for an Assistant Track & Field / Cross Country coach I have found my man! Thanks Bill and Ruth's - Making delicious subs and building international business relationships since 1977.

super random pt. XXII

1. I'm all about lists these days.... Numerical ones that is.
2. Did you know that we launched our black_ops_studio site? First person to crack the code wins an LFP tee shirt! (Lil Parrott could have a brand new wardrobe by the end of the week....)
3. Sooo.......................I was nominated for Oklahoma Magazine's "Single in the City". What does this mean? Well, as the nomination letter reads: "You have been nominated and selected by our panel to participate in Oklahoma Magazine's 2009 Single in the City feature and singles auction benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation.... If you agree, you will be presented as one of the 12 single men and women form the Tulsa area and 12 from the Oklahoma city area in our February issue. Dates with all 24 singles will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at special events held in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to help Make-A-Wish Foundation grant wishes of seriously ill children in Oklahoma." There you have it...... I'm totally uncomfortable with the entire thing, but the Make-A-Wish foundation is an incredible organization. So I'm excited about doing whatever I can to help the cause. You can download the Oklahoma Magazine February issue here.
4. 4+4 is NOT 12.
5. Phrough said this story reminded him of me:
"On August 12, 1982, I took a 10 x 7 1/8 inch National Blank Book Company composition book from the supply closet of my then employer, Vignelli Associates. From that moment, I have never been without one. I always have one at my desk. I take one with me to every meeting. I am now in the middle of Notebook #85. It's in front of me right now. Together, these well-worn books create a history of my working life that spans three decades."
I LOVE these notebooks! I've only been using them for 5 or so years so my collection is not quite as impressive as his. BUT I always have one with me at all times! See:
Full story here. I can't wait to one day stack them all on a chair and write a blog about it.

defrocked

1. Tulsa was hit by another ice storm. Luckily we didn't lose any power this time around. It was actually quite nice to settle down for a couple days. Maybe it's natures way of calming us down. Some quiet time with our family and friends. Slow down for a moment.
"Slow down everyone, You're moving too fast, Frames can't catch you when, You're moving like that..."

2. Pop quiz: First person to answer this question accurately is going to win an LFP tee shirt.... "What American Cup victor was killed by pirates in 2001 while exploring South America's Amazon river?"

3. I've been doing some research on Kings of Leon today and I'm a little confused by their story. I was trying to figure out where they are from. Here are the facts that I have gathered thus far: FACT: The band is made up of three brothers – Caleb Followill (b. 1982) (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Nathan Followill (b. 1979) (drums/backup vocals), Jared Followill (b. 1986) (bass guitar/backup vocals/synthesizer) – and their first cousin Matthew Followill (b. 1984) (lead guitar/backup vocals). The band's sound derives from southern rock, garage rock, hard rock and alternative. They have released four full-length albums.
FACT: Kings of Leon are a Grammy-nominated American rock band from Tennessee, USA
FACT: Jared and Caleb were born in Tennessee, while Matthew and Nathan were born in Oklahoma. The brothers spent much of their youth traveling around the South with their father, Leon, a traveling United Pentecostal Church preacher and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school.
FACT: They were home-schooled or enrolled in small parochial schools. Except for a five-year stretch when they settled in Jackson, Tennessee.
Conclusion: Sorry Oklahomans, survey says.................... "NOT from OK." I also think it's weird that their father's name is Leon AND that they all go by their middle names..... AND some sorces say that their father was defrocked.. Yep - you probably don't know what that is. I didn't. Check it out. I thought it was something more awesome than it was.

4. Carm sent me a text that read: "......... Did you take youre blood pressure? Seriously old man u should start." Then a few days later I got an e-mail from her titled: "Stroke identification". hmmm.
Yes. You all know I get wound up sometimes. I worry! I want things to be perfect. I just don't want to let the people I care about down. The ice storm came at a perfect time.... Anyway, I'd like to thank Carm for the very serious reminder that I need to relax. AND I would like to thank a few more of you for taking care of me when I really need it most. I know I'm impossible sometimes.... So to you - thank you.
Some of you may know this, some of you may not, SO it's in my best interest that you all KNOW:
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S*Ask the individual to SMILE.
T*Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R*Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
*NEW Sign of a Stroke*
Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

over stimulated

It' 2:00 am. I've been trying to fall asleep, but it' not happening... My ears are ringing and my eyes are burning. Started the day with an early photo shoot and ended it with a photo shoot / concert. How rad is this: I got to hang out with AC/DC in their dressing room for just a moment. It was rather surreal..... AC F*CKING DC!!! The raddest little dudes I have ever met and so charming. Brian Johnson and I talked about how the BOK gift looks like a race car... I just stared at Angus, he's bad ass. But seriously, they were so kind! Shortly after the back stage photo, we made our way down to the stage to get ready for the show. We got to shoot the first three songs from the pit. Which is the best! Sometimes artists get distracted by the cameras and we have to shoot from the back of the house. lame.
Tom (from the Tulsa World) took this photo of Paige and I:
Have I mentioned how wonderful all the kids at the BOK Center are? I'm fortunate to work with some incredible people over there.....
So yes, I work with Paige lots. She is the Marketing Manager at the BOK center. She's kind of awesome.
The show was insane! If you haven't seen an AC/DC, you probably should.
My brain is mush. My eyes are so tired..... Too much photography today... (Is that true? No.) I'm just sleepy. Night night.

write slave

A chance encounter.
So over the holidays I wrote a blog about "What movies did you watch as a child".... Shortly after writing that post, I talked with my good friend Kristina. Kristina and I were neighbors in Hollywood. I've known Kristina since she was born... We go way back... While we were talking I told her about the movie post. We watched a lot of these movies together, so it was fun to reminisce. Another one of our friends came up in conversation....... DAWN! WHERE IS DAWN?!!!! Kristina said she ran into her in LA not too long ago..... I haven't talked to Dawn in YEARS! SO, I did a little research and found a Dawn Garcia living in LA. From the info I read on her site, THIS COULD BE HER! Dawn was terribly creative and inspired. I'm awfully random....... So I sent her an e-mail. To make an already long story a little shorter, It was not Dawn Garcia from Beachwood Drive - Hollywood - 90004. However, it WAS Dawn Garcia.... My new found (literally) friend! Dawn is an incredible writer and even more incredible observer. I think it's fascinating how people enter our lives....

"No one gets anywhere in life by being too careful. You have to speak your mind. You have to know who you are. You have to take chances, embrace risk and scoff at failure. If we never take a chance we may as well admit we have never lived at all. Life is far too adventurous and intriguing to spend it caught up in other people’s ideals ... This is my journey, my adventure and I can only hope you’ll take a peek inside whenever you feel so inclined."

I found those words on her site - under: "Who Am I?"
In true Duane fashion, I did a quick interview with her:
Words to live by: Once it's made its way to paper, its no longer yours to keep. (Though "Fuck it!" is a pretty good alternative. It just seems to resonate ... [hope that's not too vulgar])
Favorite book: Picture of Dorian Gray
Favorite animal: Red-Tail Hawk (the freedom, the power, the grace ....)
Which side of the heart do you draw first? left
Music you write to: ahh, there is a question. Depends on what I'm writing.I tend to go for classical or intense - I don't often go for the in between. I choose music pertinent to the piece I'm working on. I do love "Moonlight Sonata" - I play it over and over. The intensity is elating. If I'm writing something sexy I like to listen to something sultry like Leela James or Miles Davis or Ray LaMontagne; something adventurous - Moby, White Stripes, Zero 7, Zeppelin, Citizen Cope, Stereophonics, Rage Against the Machine; something light - Corrine Bailey Rae, Damien Rice, James Morrison, Ben Harper; something youthful - Snow Patrol, Katy Perry, Salt n' Pepa, Eminem, Jack Johnson; something for love - Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke - well you get the idea ... (I love music so this category is hard to pinpoint.)
Worst advice anyone has ever given you: get a regular job!

More about my new friend Dawn: dawngarcia.com

a nice ending

LIFE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE IS
DEATH IN DISGUISE.





*I love the little things. I just finished applying for something very important and the moment I submitted my application I was given this gem.

a monochromatic midtop

I've been dying for Louis Vuitton to drop an official photo of just one of the shoes that Kanye designed. When I photographed Lil Wayne a few months ago I swore he was reppin' them, but I couldn't be sure.... I'm still not sure - Because Weezy was rocking high tops.... But they just might be...... hmmmm... I need a pair. Here is the press release:

PARIS — Marc Jacobs and the Louis Vuitton men’s studio director Paul Helbers have some design competition this season. Kanye West, who was sitting front row at the Vuitton show, has designed a line of five LV sneakers. Only one design, above, was featured in the show — a monochromatic midtop with no frills, save for a quilted flap in the back, all the easier to tuck pants into. “The inspiration came from a jacket with a huge collar in the movie ‘Dune,’ ” West says. “Most sneakers focus on the tongue, so I wanted to do something different.” West knows whereof he speaks: he says he has no idea how many shoes he owns, but he does know that he routinely needs to send shipments off to storage. The LV-meets-Kanye kicks will be available at Louis Vuitton stores in June.

this goes out to all the ladies

*Please reread the title of this post and insert my classically trained baratone voice... Now feast your eyes and ears on this ladies:

Now that we got that out of the way.... Here are a few things that have been on my mind as of late.
I over heard a guy say "Well, let me ask you this..." and I thought to myself - If you use that series of words. Stop. It's a sure fire way to let everyone around you know that you're a complete d-bag.
Now, what kinda of world do we live in when we can't enjoy a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich without the thought of death.
Random Quote - to churn your brain hole:
"If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you mustn't seek to prove that no crows are; it is enough to prove one single crow to be white."
-William James
Question everything.
How many chalkboards do you think are still in use in our schools?
Finally, I just noticed for the first time in my life that when one of my shoes becomes untied, it's ALWAYS the same shoe! The right one.... What the sh*t is that?! I'm going to be tracking this trend and presenting my theory in a year from now.

OKC ain't so BAD

I beat up on Oklahoma a lot. It's easy to.... But you know deep down I love it.
I know what my problem is.... I just need to get the F*ck out of Tulsa more often. AND as much as I wish I had the time to head to either coast, I forget there is refuge only an hour and a half away. I had a couple of meetings in OKC last week and took the opportunity to breath a little. And explorer. It was just what the doctor ordered. Thanks OKC!
Before my meetings I spent some quality time with Shane and Gavin in Norman - then OKC...
I found an AZ sunset in OK. It was a sign of good things to come..... [I thought you might like this Joel]
I finally got to meet Gavin's little girl... She's adorable.....
Gavin's house is: (1) Huge (2) Beautiful (3) In a development where he has built 8 other custom homes. With a few more in the works. If you are a looking for a beautifully built custom million dollar home in the Norman area - let me know - I have the perfect builder for you! I crashed in the upstairs theater room:
Gavin treated us to:
The velvet rope was pro. The food was delicious and the beers were frosty. I can't wait to go back again.
Brothers [one from another mother]:
After dinner we walked to the Thunder game. Which was awesome because they dominated the JAZZ! I was really surprised - the FORD Center wasn't as bad as I had heard. I thought it was great! With just one game I became a Thunder fan.......
AND SHANE even bought me a jersey at the game! I love him....
I'm going to rock it at the Lakers game... But I need to pick up some white Jordan XI's first.
The next day my adopted coworkers took me to Red Pin. Red Pin is this fancy loungy martini type bar which has a handful of bowling lanes. It's pretty rad! Anyway, my coworkers were bowling in a couple lanes and all the other lanes were occupied by the OU basketball team!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it...... It was awesome. I even got a chance to chat with my favorite player on the team AJ:
Blake was summoned over by one of the "southwest flight attendants" for a group photo and afterwards I asked him if it was cool for one more picture:
I love people watching, so being able to sit back and observe the OU team bond was pretty cool. the two players I was forutnate enough to talk to were kind and polite. Humble. HOW CAN BLAKE BE HUMBLE?! He's so bad ass on the court! [if you didn't know, Blake is being preranked as the #1 Draft pick in the NBA this year]

Anyway, thanks OKC. I kinda heart you now.

thankful

So my dear friend Casey and I were finally able to exchange Christmas gifts yesterday! And I will just say this: It's in my top three most thoughtful gifts in Christmas history! It's wonderful! Thank you Casey! I LOVE IT.......... I'm so thankful for people like you in my life.

dang...... A Dub

Lil Parrott sent me an e-mail titled "dang.... A Dub" [he's the man!]Lil Parrott and Jason at the game:It's pretty awesome. I'll admit, I'm definitely jumping on the band wagon here, at one point 3 years ago I remember saying "A new stadium can't help that shitty franchise!" And I still stand behind that statement to a point. I hate the Bidwell's - I think they are scum and I don't think they deserve the fans. The stadium didn't help the franchise so much, BUT it did give the fans an opportunity to finally get behind their team. It's an amazing stadium. I've always believed that if you focus on the details, make your world pretty, great things will happen. And I believe that is what happend in Glendale.... Thanks to the proud people in AZ. [Again, no thanks to the Bidwell's]

global warming

I would just like to take this opportunity to ask you all for your help. Maybe it's because I spent most of my life on the west coat.... Or on an island below the equator. I'm not sure.... But I think we should be held accountable for our actions. Understand your role in Global Warming. Oklahoma is terribly frigid in the winter months and I think that if it was a little warmer / a little sunier, people might be more inclined to move here. Which would result in a stronger local economy. So please - do whatever you can to help expedite the global warming process. I'm tired of being cold. Thank you.

Adrian [squared]

Bears will always be my favorite team in History. But, in the last 15 years I have learned to love the Cards and the Vikings. My love for each team only grew as they added THE Adrian's to their rosters. The Adrian's are my favorite players in the league, so I hope they never leave because it's nice to have them on my two crush teams. The breakdown:

[1] ADRIAN Wilson - Strong Safety - AZ Cardinals
612 tackles / 46 Pass Deflections / 18 Interceptions / 433 yds from picks / 2 TD's / Long 99 yards
Background: I have spent most of my life in Arizona. Being their as they completed the new stadium was exciting. My High School in-laws the Trinko's loved them some Cards - they actually took me to my first NFL game. (Cards vs. Boys - btw) All my friends have season tickets now so the "ownership" of the Cards over the last few years in my circle has only added to the crush. DB's have always been my favorite position in the NFL, Deion Sanders was my favorite player when I was in HS. (Coincidentally it was because of Mrs. Trinko that I got to meet Deion Sanders and watch him play basketball in our HS gym with his body gaurds. She leaked the info to me because she knew I LOVED him! It was wicked awesome.) ANYWAY - Adrian Wilson is probably the most exciting DB in the league. Insane power, crazy athleticism and over the top flair. Love it. Also last fall Matt and Kamie took me to his boutique shoe store in Scottsdale and it was all over! I love the dude. hahah... But seriously, he's crazy, just watch here.

[2] ADRIAN Peterson - Running Back - Minn Vikings
3,101 YDS Rushing in 2 years / 103 YDS avg per Gm / 22 Rushing TDs
Background:
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma.
The fact that he is 6-1 and 217 lbs.
A SIX-ONE running back that plays like he is 5-1.... It's incredible. Unnatural. It's simply awesome.
Finally - I love Purple and Gold!

*With that all being said - GO CARDS!

muzzle discipline

I'm a fan of Becks, but his Giorgio Armani Ad's are gross. However, Posh's new Armani Ad's are hot and classy.
Also in STYLE news a lawsuit is keeping Project Runway off the air for now, BUT Timmy Gunn says they are still filming despite the legal battle:
"In April, Lifetime announced that The Weinstein Company, which produces Project Runway, signed a five-year deal to switch networks beginning in November. Bravo's parent company NBC filed suit in New York Supreme Court claiming they did not have a chance to avert the deal."

Muzzle Discipline: Most of the things I have learned about life, I have learned through military philosophy. One of my favorite subjects outside of Reconnaissance happens to be CQB. To successfully work with a team to clear a building is all in the details. Muzzle Discipline is critical, controlling which actions are voluntary and which actions are involuntary. You must be aware of everything, When you bring up or down your muzzle to engage your target, you never sweep another guys weapon or body. It's simple: Fast is slow, slow is quick, front site focus, trigger squeeze, discipline and control...

water landing

I can't wait for warmer weather! I'm hoping that while I am in Phoenix for a couple weeks I will be able to make my way to Hermosa. As Greg Weaver once said "I'm just looking for a primitive place to watch the points peal off...."
But if I don't get out to the waters, I will at least get to enjoy a few Spring Training games. Scottsdale is amazing.. I can't wait.
Currently I am in OKC and it's sooooooooooooo nice.
It's nice to be outside of Tulsa for a bit.
We were chillin with Gavin and Shelly last night, I finally got to meet their little girl (WHO IS adorable!).... After catching up on the last few months, Shane, Gavin and I went to a BAD ASS restaurant (Which I will tell you more about once I upload the photos this weekend), then we went to a Thunder game (They throttled the JAZZ - it was awesome - pictures to come as well) then we went to the Bass Pro shop.... An incredible night. I can't wait to upload the photos.
While we were sitting on the tarmac in St. Louis earlier this week, Jason and I had a conversation about the "water landing" the flight attendant mentioned during her safety speech. "Water Landing"? Really?... Anyway, we laughed at the idea of "landing on the water" and using our seat cushions as flotation devices.
BUT- apparently planes CAN have accidental water landings! If you happen to live under a rock (or live in Bixby) and haven't heard about the plane crash in NYC today, read this, it's quite amazing.... Especially since the passangers had no use for their seat cushions, rather - They just stood on the wings of the plane.... Yea - it was quite an amazing site.
What did I learn today? Planes can have water landings. And planes float..... Who knew?! It's a crazy world we live in.
OK - I have to run!
Random Awesome Quote of The Week:
"Even when you're really drunk, people can still see you."
- Bob Dobbs

Chip Kidd

In November we brought in Jay Shuster... We took December off, but to kick off 2009 we are bringing in Chip Kidd!!
USA Today called him the “closest thing to a rock star in the graphic design world” while writer John Updike described his book design as “monstrously ugly.” He’s talented. He’s controversial. He’s designed some of the most well-known book covers on the planet. And he’s coming to ADCT at Philbrook this month.
Heads up. Again.
The meeting’s at Philbrook.
We have limited seating in the main auditorium. It is first-come, first-served.
Overflow seating will be in a room with a live video feed.
No food. Eat before you get there. Cash bar.
ADCT and Philbrook members are free. Non-members are $7.50.
Semi-annual ADCT memberships will be available for $50 at the door.
More about Chip goodisdead.com
A celebrated artist, author and book designer living in New York City, Chip has designed over 1,500 book covers including Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses, David Sedaris’ Naked as well as his own novel, The Cheese Monkeys.
Chip’s work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Eye, Print, Entertainment Weekly, The New Republic, Time, The New York Times, Graphis, New York and ID. And he designs a mean poster. Which he’ll be signing, along with selected books, after the show. Don’t miss it!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Location: Philbrook Museum of Art
2727 South Rockford Road, Tulsa, OK
Social 5:00-7:30 PM | Lecture 7:30–9:00 PM
ADCT and Philbrook members: Free | Non-members $7.50
And an extra special thanks to Barnes and Noble at 41st and Yale for donating the proceeds from the sale of Chip’s books at the event to ADCT! Jeff Martin rocks!!!!

in the real world

I've been looking for this document for the past year and a half:
My Real World rejection letter from Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray..

call off the wolves

1. I'm so bummed I'm not going to Sundance this weekend. Tom took this photo at Sundance two years ago. argh. Lame. I need out of T-town!
2. I'm applying for this job... "Best Job In The World"
3. Thus far, the 2009 best comment of the year award goes to MattyD Re: the Tim Tebow post: "He's like the chuck Norris of bible bangers”
4. Being in Broken Arrow is like being on a different planet.....
FYI The Panera sucks out here. I didn't know you could ruin Broccoli Cheddar soup...
5. I heart liquids. Currently drinking: 1. Naked Juice "Superfood" 2. Dasani water 3. Vitamin water "Power-c"
6. So I came across this Girl Talk interview on TIME.com Wow - TIME is so hip and edgy. (blah) Sorry TIME - I beat you to the punch with an interview I did 4 months prior. Which I published 4 weeks before yours [here](Only 1/3 of the interview -btw) and..... Yours is lame. It's amusing to imagine the TIME.com contributing writer at a Girl Talk event....
7. Watched some ESPN at the gym this afternoon and it looks like Duke might actually have a basketball player that might get some playing time in the NBA when he grows up! (yay!)
8. You know what I am over? Viral Marketing. So 2008, I'm over it.
9. I've been chewing on this quote - Which I caught in the new issue of WIRED: "Marshall McLuhan pointed out that whenever we get our hands on a new medium we tend to use it like older ones. Early TV broadcasts consisted of guys sitting around reading radio scripts because nobody had realized yet that TV could tell stories differently." It was in reference to much of the emerging mediums available today... There is so much potential. That quote unlocked some weird part of my brain and I can't stop thinking about all the possibilities.
10. Tom - thanks for hooking me up with QUITE possibly the raddest Apple App ever! [I'm not sharing - it's too good! It might revolutionize my life....] It will definitely help in producing that Pharrell video.
11. I love Red Vines. LIKE I really really really love them.
12. I think "your momma" jokes are still funny. Unless of course you don't have a momma - then it's not so funny.
13. I stumbled upon this quote on Bree's page on Facebook.... Although a little over the top - I've been thinking about for the last few days and it's very true: "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." Ever since the new year, all the things I have been wanting to change (I use the term lightly) since last spring have slowly made their way into my being and have finally shaped the way I see things. It makes me happy. Persistence rocks.
14. Monkeys freak me out. (in the wild) Terribly unpredictable.
15. You know who doesn't stand a chance? The kids... Ask Vampire Weekend.
16. I have to congratulate MattyD on coaching again - He's just killin it out in AZ! I'm so proud of you! I'd also like to congratulate him on acquring 4 yellow cards. (as a coach.... It's quite impressive.) I remember Powell and I would try to get red cards in all our games towards the end of the season... It was fun!
17. I do believe 3 is the magic number. see...

free refills

Not sure if you can remember back in the day when NOT all fast food restaurants offered free refills.... It was lame. The moment one restaurant offered the service, ALL the restaurants should have offered it. The ones that did NOT, got a thumbs down in my book. 2009's version of the Free Refill: Airports NOT offering free Wifi.... WTF?! It's 2009 already - Get with the program Tulsa and St. Louis. You'll make far more money - I promise... Here is D's comprehensive biz plan: Offer free Wifi - Users are automatically directed to Airports FREE WiFi "Agreement of Services" page. Link to flight [arrival and departure] info, a map of places to eat and shop in the terminal and perhaps the National Weather Service Dopler Radar... (I love radars)..... Throw up some ads on these pages and with the thousands of free WiFi stickers you place all over your airport you will drive tens of thousands of browsers to your page hourly... Shouldn't be all that hard to make triple what you are making now with all those impressions.... I'm just sayin'. Now make it happen.

Had one of the craziest days today! Up by 4:30AM - Airport by 5:30 - In St. Louis by 8:30 - Set up remote "studio" by 9:30 - Obtain key shots by 10:45 - Wrap up set by 11:30 - Back to Airport by noon - Fly out by 2:15 - Back to Tulsa by 3:30 - Sitting in my studio by 4:00....... It was the fastest work trip I have ever taken. We spent a total of 5 hours in our destination city. It was a little risky, old me would have been anxious the entire time, stressing about all the things that could have gone wrong to disrupt my insane time line..... But not anymore. I've been working on tweaking my perspective for almost a year now.... Focusing on what could go wrong kind of steers you right into it. Prepare - that's all you can do. Then enjoy. Everything that happens along the way... Well, that's just life.

Tebow Skips Senior Season, Ascends Directly Into Heaven

MIAMI (SP) -- Shortly after leading the Florida Gators to a national championship with a 24-14 win over Oklahoma, junior quarterback Tim Tebow announced that he would skip his senior season and ascend directly into heaven.
Tebow entered the press room to wild applause. A reporter for a 24-hour cable sports network burst into tears when the 2007 Heisman winner entered the room. Another threw a pair of boxer shorts on the podium. Tebow smiled at the gesture and several sports reporters fainted.
"Sorry I'm late," Tebow began. "There was a six-year-old boy with cancer in row 54 and I had to make my way through the crowd to heal him."
"I want to start by saying that playing quarterback for the University of Florida, winning two national championships, has been a great honor. There has been some speculation about my future and I want to clear that up right now," he continued.
"Don't go, Tim!" a reporter shouted from the back of the room.
"After much consideration, I have decided to skip my senior season at the University of Florida and ascend directly into Heaven," Tebow announced. Upon making the announcement, Tebow was bathed in a blinding white light and vanished.
In response to the news, ESPN announced they will have a month-long tribute to Tebow. ESPN2 will now be known as ESPN-TEBOW and will feature Tebow highlights including home videos of Tebow's childhood), re-airings of past interviews, Tebow-centric analysis by ESPN air personalities, a Tebow quiz show and a reality show to find the "most Tebow-like" person in America.
"He wasn't just the greatest player in college football history," said a college football writer at the press conference, tears streaming down his face. "He might have been the greatest person to ever walk on earth."

DO IT!

Brilliant....!

"What would you do for a free WHOPPER? Would you insult an elected official? Would you do a naked handstand? Would you go so far as to turn your back on friendship? Install WHOPPER Sacrifice on your Facebook profile and we'll reward you with a free flame-broiled WHOPPER Sandwich when you sacrifice 10 of your friends*."

Get the app now and sacrifice those 10 fools. [Here's your chance to clean house! You know you have been wanting to!] = Whopper Sacrifice App
The best part in my opinion: Normally when you de-friend someone they may not even notice. Not in this case.... With the Whopper Sacrifice application, part of the application makes sure that each of the 10 friends you choose to ditch get a nice note alerting them to the fact that they have been de-friended - for a whopper. Brutal, bold, and frankly, pretty f*cking awesome.

monster trucks are awesome

I don't know anything about Monster Trucks, but I do know this: They are badass!
So much horsepower! I love it. Anyway, Captain's Curse was on point last night! I could actually tell that he was a better driver then the rest of the dudes. I thought they were all the same.... They're not. He's good. I took this video of him dominating the Doughnuts competition..... I mean - the other competitors only did like 5 spins and they were all over the place. AND Grave Digger Blew out his transmission trying to top Captain's Curse........

closer

I'd like you to meet Izzy.
She's pretty much awesome. This is how I had to work yesterday:

She wasn't a big fan of anywhere else....
She slept most of the day. Snored a lot.... Ate a little. But pretty much just slept. She makes me smile.

sodium city usa

Saw the commercial for this last week and I couldn't wait to see the "nutritional facts":
Calories: 600
Calories form fat: 330
Total fat (gms): 37
Trans fat (gms): 1
Cholesterol (mgs): 75
Sodium (mgs): 1120*

*My favorite part.
Just so you know, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium to 2,300 mgs daily..... If you ate just one of these you would knock out HALF of your recommended sodium intake for the day! gnarly........ It's important to watch Calories, fat and cholesterol, but Sodium is just as important.

friday bloody friday

Today's installment of "What's on my desktop" is in reference to my laptop... This is my wallpaper:

[1600x1200]

I have a lot to say. But I don't feel like saying it. I might be one of the most calculated random people you will ever meet. Blogs are weird. So is the internet. So is the fact that Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines! Who would have thought that one of the greatest football players in college history and equally - one of the greatest human beings on this earth would be a Filipino? I mean - as they said last night: "your life would be far better after spending time with Tim Tebow" (I'm paraphrasing, but yes, that's what they said)... Most Filipinos are 4'11 and have a predisposition for being terrible at football. (I was the exception, but that had a lot to do with acquiring most of my athleticism from my danish roots - which make up 50% of who I am.) Side note, if you are ever reading my blog and catch grammatical errors or phrases that just don't add up - it's because both my parents don't speak english. I mean.. They do - in theory. My brother and I (or is it my "brother and me" - F*ck............ SEE!) are lucky to even be able to speak conversationally.* I'm puppy sitting this weekend and it is awesome......... Pictures to come. I get to photograph MONSTER TRUCKS TONIGHT! Paige just called me and told me she actually got to sit in Grave Digger.... :( I want to sit in Grave Digger....... Hmph.....(!) But I have to run... I'll write more later. Currently listening to "Fields of Gold" - Sting.... What the Sh*t? How did that happen? I was listening to Stone Temple Pilots "Plush" just a moment ago...... OH - I see.... itunes. Alphabetical order. By artist. Stone - Sting... I'm a genius! Now I'm listening to Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed".... Great song btw. Lates.

hide and seak

It’s no secret that I had an unusual holiday this year. It all started this fall…. I was dreading the holidays – Thanksgiving through New Years. I couldn’t wait for January 2nd to arrive…. It felt like a lifetime. I feel much better being on this side of things. I spent the 25th entirely on my own. I sat in my office and looked at almost every photo I own. I was trying to surround myself with all my friends that I couldn’t be near. There was much comfort loitering in the memories. Holidays are hard in general. How can I not thinking about my best friend...? The emptiness can sometimes be unbearable. So I took those emotions and put them to good use. I spent the second half of Christmas day working on this piece for Powell. I think it would’ve made him laugh.

It has only taken me a few weeks to share it...
You know, tomorrow is not guaranteed. We are not entitled to it. You should hopefully wake up each day and be grateful for whatever you have in your life. Because you have another day to give it your best… That’s all you can do. Love and be loved. Don’t take things for granted, because you will wake up one day and they might be gone. I’m a bit forward sometimes, anxious and impatient, but it’s because I have this terribly strong fear of losing someone I love. I don’t want to waste a day…… Our opportunity to love, be loved and have the world/love take our breath away is fleeting. I just try and live everyday like it might be my last (not in a cliché way, but in an appreciative way), I hate going to sleep knowing that something was left unsaid or unresolved. Because in life, nothing is guaranteed – not even one last “good night” or “I love you”. So, I know I can be impossible sometimes, terribly assertive and what not, but... I’ve learned that regrets haunt me. And I only have one. I didn’t tell my best friend I loved him enough. Miss you dude.

F'ing lame

I typically don't put much stock in opinion polls, but this I agree with:

Seventy-seven percent of Americans believe that the U.S. media is making the economic situation worse by projecting fear into people's minds.

The majority of those surveyed feel that the financial press, by focusing on and embellishing negative news, is damaging consumer confidence and damping investment, making a difficult situation much worse. The poll was conducted via telephone, December 4 - 7.

I hate the U.S. media. Mainly because they have chosen to glorify drama rather than report current affairs. They find a hot story and exploit it, no matter the content.... All while throwing integrity and accountability to the wind. It's become a show rather than a source for unbiased and pertinent information. In this situation, I believe the media has blown the economic issues out of proportion and have tarnished the credibility of our nation on numerous levels. Industries and people [nationally and internationally] who have not been directly affected by the difficult economic situation are timid to invest because of the horror stories they read and hear daily.

So yea................ F the media.

rad xmas gifts

Remember how I was telling you those Kingfisher kids are awesome.... Well, here are a couple more reasons why...
What a pleasant surprise!
Two Christmas gifts that I did not expect! All in the past 42 hours. This one is from DaisY!
THANK YOU DaisY! Weird [part1]- Because just recently someone asked me what my favorite Christmas present of all time was and the first thing I thought of was the AT-AT I got when I was 7... I interpret "best" as the most excited. And I was so STOKED.... PLUS, it was huge! Weird [part2] - DaisY gave me this gift today and today I had planned on uploading these photos, which I brought into the office over the weekend... weird.....

The AT-AT.... One of the greatest fictional vehicles of all time.....

The next present is from Cody!! All the way from Thailand! Thanks dude!
The tee shirt was given to Behyad in Bangkok to transport back to the states, where in Dallas Behyad gave to Kyle.. Kyle THEN safely brought the gift to OKC where he gave it to Phrough. Phrough THEN drove the shirt to Tulsa Oklahoma where he placed it on my desk. This gift wins!! Not only did it have such an exciting journey, but it's one badass shirt. Seriously Cody - thank you so much! It's all sorts of perfect....
Like fo real dude!!!! Thank you.

mighty things

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
-Teddy Bear

there is nothing nerdy about Goose...

The title comes from something I said yesterday. Random. I was bragging that "Revenge of the Nerds" was filmed at THE U of A: The legendary Cochise Hall, the Chi O house, Bear Down gym, Alpha Gamma Rho (who?) house and Old Main.... Just some of spots... Anyway.
More of the random... Here are a couple picks I've taken over the last week.
The house soundboard. This guy was one of three in this particular area. I get really excited about this part of the show. I love looking at all the equipment! Each show has tons of production set ups like this all over the building. Back of the arena, off the stage, in the tunnels.... everywhere. It's incredible. During this show they had a couple guys walking around all levels of the arena with these sweet tablet pc's making sure audio levels were good in every section. I was seriously dorking out.
I had to use Phrough's computer to scan all my story boards in over the weekend and thought I would take a photo from his side of the world. He's a PC guy.... Then I realized some of you guys need to know more about phrough! Let's start:
I took this photo in October of 2007.... I had no idea at that time we would become such great friends. Phrough's pretty rad. Here are some more facts about Phrough, this is from his bio on the Left Field Project site:

Who is Jeff Howard?
I'm a man of the world who happens to have been born and raised in Oklahoma. I've traveled through much of the United States and lived in Dallas, Texas and Bali, Indonesia before moving to Tulsa. I'm a laughably educated man, having earned a bachelor's in Business Administration with an MIS major from the University of Oklahoma, though I couldn't find his diploma if you actually wanted to see it. I'm a self taught internet handyman, and I don't like it when people ask him which computer they should purchase.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
The classics. Sports superstar (think Bo Jackson pre knee injury). Astronaut. Dinosaur hunter.
If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
With a mane like mine, I'd have to be a lion. Also, lions like to lay around in the shade, and I can certainly identify with that.
How did you get to where you are today?
This morning I drove my car to the office, and here I sit. In the grander scheme of things, I have no idea.
Where do you find inspiration?
I don't find inspiration. Inspiration finds me. I take inspiration from my surroundings and things I run into everyday.
Last meal?
Papa Johns... large... the works.
Last movie?
Pineapple Express. I laughed out loud.
Favorite color?
I don't do favorites. I have a strong appreciation for all colors. At the moment, I own too many brown t-shirts.

**Looks like he is working on some awesome stuff at his desk, I'm going to interupt him and ask him a few questions - impromtu interview:
1. Last resturant he ate at: Iron Star (OKC)
2. First girl friend: *After I asked this question he said: "Is this for your blog?" I replied "yes" and he said "I object!" Game over.... lol
3. Celebrity Crush:
4. Favorite Brand:
5. Music on heavy rotation:
6. Hates:
Learn more about phrough at www.phrough.com

xoxo

WELL, I'm addicted. gg just might be televisions greatest hit. I think this will trump my LOST obsession.... The characters are impeccable. I'm kind of in love with S. Chuck is amazing and b, well b is a character with texture. Dan is the classic underdog and is easy to love, but Chuck! What an incredible character! I love pretty things, so I don't expect gg to disappoint. wow - I think I am in love.....

sick

Robbie Madison is sick. The step up is one thing - That on it's own is crazy. But just keep watching.

Are you kidding? Dude is crazy.

2009 - it's here

LFP's off to good start in '09!
I was chilling in the office with my brother and good buddy Eric [Marshall] yesterday when we discovered that the Urban Tulsa Weekly's Hot 100 [Class of 2009] Edition was out and the three of us were all in it! HOW about that?! The kids over at UTW have always been good to us - We appreciate their support a great deal - Thank you! I've cut up the magazine for a quick read, but I recommend that you go download the full issue here or go pick one up!

Left Field Project:

My brother:

Eric Marshall:

LFP's in good company.....
We've got a lot planned for 2009 and I'm excited that people are recognizing our efforts. Spring is going to be incredible. I'm still detailing my new years resolutions, but once I'm done I will share some of them....
*Last year I ended up writing 279 posts on my blog - I'm going to destroy that number in 09.

I hope everyone had a brilliant New Years Eve.
Cheers!